For the purposes of the present invention, “stringed instruments” are those stringed musical instruments that have strings extending over a fingerboard, the strings attach at both ends to the instrument, vibrating to create sound, and which are played by use of or in reference to the fingerboard.
There are many different stringed instruments that are played by use of or in reference to a fingerboard. Some examples include, but are not limited to: bass guitar, guitar, steel guitar, dobro, lute, mandolin, mandola, sitar, banjo, ukulele and instruments of the violin family. These stringed instruments may be electric or acoustic.
For such stringed instruments, the player's fingers stop the strings at the appropriate locations on the fingerboard to produce the desired notes while plucking or bowing the corresponding string or strings. The string or strings may also be stopped using an object such as a metal bar, bottle or slide. Steel guitar and slide guitar are examples of stringed instruments which are played using this technique. Fretted instruments have raised ribs, known as frets, which protrude from the fingerboard, transverse to the strings. The frets are typically spaced in a predetermined fashion, such that when one of the strings is depressed, it may be stopped along its length against the fret, usually at an interval of a “half-note,” which is also referred to as a half-step or a half-tone. Conventionally, frets are numbered beginning at the nut. The 1st fret is the fret adjacent to the nut. The next fret is the 2nd fret, then the 3rd fret, and so on. The numbering of the frets continues in similar manner along the length of the fingerboard. Conventional fretted instruments have half-note fret intervals others have fret intervals corresponding to a major scale or other arrangement of note intervals. The term “fret-space” as used herein, refers to the area on the fingerboard immediately adjacent to a fret. Conventionally, the numbering of the fret-spaces begins at the nut. The 1st fret-space is the area between the nut and the 1st fret. The 2nd fret-space refers to the area between the 1st and 2nd frets, and so on.
Many players of stringed instruments have difficulties due to the lack of effective visual note references on the fingerboard of their instruments. An unmarked fingerboard provides the most difficulty for note reference, because it offers a minimum of visual cues for locating notes. Past attempts to remedy this problem typically employed marks on the fingerboard for providing visual references. These existing fingerboard marking approaches can be described as having two characteristics, which are the location of mark, referred to herein as “mark-location,” and the type of mark, referred to herein as “mark-type.” The mark-location characteristics are subdivided into either “fret-space-referencing” or “note-referencing.” Specifically, a fret-space-referencing mark is located anywhere within a fret-space. It follows that a fret-space-referencing mark is independent of string location. For example, a mark located between the sixth and seventh frets without regard to string location is a fret-space-referencing mark. A note-referencing mark is also located within a fret-space, but must be located in one-to-one correspondence with a string. It follows that an individual note-referencing mark is located at an individual note. For example, a decal marking the note “C” location is a note-referencing mark. The mark-type characteristic is subdivided into either “permanent” or “impermanent.” A permanent mark is affixed permanently to the fingerboard. For example, a mark embedded in the fingerboard as an inlay is a mark-type commonly practiced in the industry. In contrast, an impermanent mark is attached or displayed temporarily or removably on the fingerboard. For example, a changing display of lights on the fingerboard or removable decals are impermanent marks.
Presently, a standard, permanent fingerboard mark known as a “position marker” is often employed. The position marker is typically embedded permanently in the fingerboard as an inlay, or permanently affixed to the fingerboard by painting a mark onto the fingerboard surface. Position markers are placed flush with the fingerboard surface and are clearly visible in contrast to the fingerboard. Position markers are a component part of the fingerboard, typically fastened or applied to the fingerboard in the manufacturing process of the stringed instrument. A position marker is characterized by type as permanent.
There also presently exists a standard system of fingerboard markings, referred to herein as the “conventional arrangement of position markers.” This system uses position markers as defined above. In the conventional arrangement of position markers, marks are permanently located on the fingerboard within fret-spaces, and the marks are independent of string location. With the conventional arrangement of position markers the mark-location is fret-space-referencing and the mark-type is permanent.
The conventional arrangement of position markers on a fingerboard consists of position markers located within selected fret-spaces. Typically, these position markers are in the shape of circles. However, such position markers may be other shapes and may be a variety of sizes, colors, and designs. Also typically, conventional position markers are placed so that any single position marker is centered within a particular fret-space location. However, in some cases, the position markers are somewhat offset from the center of the fret-space. The most complete conventional arrangement of position markers typically includes single, circle shaped fret-space-referencing markers at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 15th, 17th, 19th, and 21st fret-spaces. Additionally, the conventional arrangement of position markers can include two circle shaped marks at the 12th fret-space and the 24th fret-space. Typical variations include markings at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 12th fret-spaces only; markings at the 5th and 12th fret-spaces only; and markings at the 10th instead of the 9th fret-space location.
This conventional arrangement of position markers has two distinct advantages: It is permanent, and it is in widespread use as a standard. However, a disadvantage of the conventional arrangement of position markers is that for each marked fret-space location, many different notes are present, one corresponding note for each string. The player then uses knowledge of the open string tuning in relation to the fret-space location to play the desired note. For example, consider the open tuned strings E, A, D, and G, as for the electric bass guitar, with a position marker at the 5th fret-space. For the E string, the position marker corresponds to the A note. For the A string, the same position marker corresponds to the D note. For the D string, the same position marker corresponds to the G note. For the G string, the same position marker corresponds to the C note. This ambiguity is a major difficulty in the playing of stringed instruments.
To help overcome the above-described difficulties, certain instructional materials and methods include, decals to be placed on the fingerboard. These training aids are impermanent, and removed from the instrument after the notes are learned. They do not provide a continuing reference needed for the playing of stringed instruments. These approaches rely on repetition and memorization to recognize note locations, usually retaining the conventional arrangement of position markers on the instrument to assist in referencing fret-space locations. In these approaches the mark-location is note-referencing and the mark-type is impermanent.
The many problems and difficulties of learning to play stringed instruments have been discussed in previous U.S. patents. Examples of such patents include U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,509, issued to John F. Graham and entitled “Electroluminescent Fret Grid for Stringed Instruments,” and U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,495 issued to John Roof and entitled “Musical Instrument Training Device.” The Graham '509 patent offers a musical training device as a possible solution to the above-described problems by providing an easily viewable matrix of thin lights displayed within the fret board of a guitar and having a wide angle viewing area under ambient lighting conditions. The Graham '509 patent offers the ability to display note, scale or chord locations through visual means by activating lights or by displaying alphabetic characters representing actual note, scale or chord names.
The Roof '495 patent is also offered as an electrical musical training device which provides a fret board lighting system for displaying pre-determined chord note locations and indicating the corresponding strings to be played. The Roof '495 patent includes means to sequentially indicate multiple chord patterns for the purpose of student practice.
The Graham '509 and the Roof '495 patents offer a tool for improving playing skills by displaying a pre-selected grouping of notes, such as the notes of a particular scale, or chord, or all of the locations of a particular note. One application of these inventions would be to indicate, through lighting, all the note locations of a particular scale which has been pre-programmed for the device. Then, by stopping the strings only at the lighted fret-space locations, an individual could play the correct notes of that scale. They provide fingerboard marks via lighting indicators, where the lighted fingering locations are in one-to-one correspondence to the fingering locations of particular notes, scales or chords. The Graham '509 and Roof '495 patents are intended as teaching aids for use as follows: a player will learn a particular note, scale or chord by stopping strings at the lighted, fret-space locations; then the player will learn to play the note, scale or chord with the lighting indicators turned off.
Therefore, in the Graham '509 and Roof '495 patents the mark-location is note-referencing and the mark-type is impermanent. A disadvantage is that both patents require special construction involving electrical power supply, electronic circuitry, and intricate visual display apparatuses. After the lights are turned off, a disadvantage is that these patents do not provide any continuing visual references for playing the instrument. Therefore, the stringed instruments using these patents usually retain position markers in the conventional arrangement of position markers to assist in referencing fret-space locations. Another disadvantage is that potentially many different pre-programmed settings would be required to display the great variety of notes, scales or chords. It is a further disadvantage to leave the lighting display on because in many playing situations the user will find that changing the lighting display to correspond to the music will be cumbersome.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,699,380 to Stewart describes an improvement to stringed musical instruments with a plurality of contrasting characters on the fingerboard to indicate fingering positions for specific chords. The characters indicating chords may be printed on the fingerboard, applied using gummed labels, pasted to the fingerboard or removable chord diagrams secured to the fingerboard. The characters indicating chords may be colored celluloid dots inset or countersunk in the fingerboard.
Therefore, in this approach the mark-location for chords is note-referencing and the mark-type is either impermanent or permanent, depending on materials and fingerboard application methods. The note-referencing chord characters are beneficial to learning a given chord. The impermanent type chord characters are removed after the chord is learned. After removal, a disadvantage is that the Stewart patent does not provide any continuing visual references for playing the instrument. If not removed, a disadvantage is that the chord characters will conflict with a variety of other chords. This would cause visual confusion and is not suitable for most playing situations. The permanent type chord characters are also not suitable for general playing situations because the chord characters will conflict with a variety of other chords, and have the further disadvantage that the chord characters are not removable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,023 to Ravagni et al. describes a device for teaching students of stringed instruments note locations and proper finger placement on the fingerboard of the instrument. The device comprises a sheet of autogenously adhesive plastic on which is printed a variety of marks indicating note locations, scales or chords for finger placement. The sheet is wrapped around the fingerboard and neck of the instrument. The sheet adheres to itself, and is removable from the instrument.
Therefore, in this approach the mark-location is note-referencing and the mark-type is impermanent. The note-referencing marks are beneficial to learning a given note, scale or chord. If not removed, a disadvantage is that the marks will conflict with a variety of other notes, scales or chords. This would cause visual confusion and is not suitable for most playing situations. The impermanent type marks are removed after the notes, scales or chords are learned. After removal, a disadvantage is that the Ravagni patent does not provide any continuing visual references for playing the instrument. A further disadvantage is that potentially many different sheets would be required to teach the great variety of notes, scales or chords.
Several other patents have been issued which are directed to the problem of a visual device for teaching the playing of a musical stringed instrument. Examples of other patents include the Galbraith U.S. Pat. No. 852,407, the Fish U.S. Pat. No. 939,486, the Finney U.S. Pat. No. 1,719,604, the Pipkin U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,699, the Mulchi U.S. Pat. No. 3,153,970, the Sapinski U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,370, the Gilbert U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,815, the Feldman U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,756, the Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,757, the Ratanangsu U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,867, the Habicht U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,281, and the Nance U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,464.
Though the prior art patents mentioned above attempt to provide visual aids for learning to play conventional fretted and unfretted stringed instruments, these teaching systems still fail to provide permanent visual note-references that are easily learned and rapidly recognized. A related problem with these prior systems is that they are difficult to utilize in actual playing situations, as opposed to practice or learning sessions. Therefore an improved system for referencing notes in the playing of conventional fretted and unfretted stringed instruments is needed that provides an easily learned and rapid visual recognition system for note locations, which can be utilized in actual playing situations.